2023 Main Stage Lineup!
HARLIS SWEETWATER
Harlis Sweetwater is an indie touring artist from Orange County, California who headlines his own shows across the USA and has also supported major names including Jimmie Vaughan, ZZ Top , Los Lobos, George Thorogood, Blues Traveler, and others. His three albums as The Harlis Sweetwater Band cracked the blues charts in the U.S., Ireland, Sweden, and New Zealand and now, as a solo act, Sweetwater is determined to fly even higher. Sweetwater is rock and roll to his core and is an instant favorite with anyone who loves street-level guitar music.
His energy level is truly impressive and how he keeps it going is even more so. Sweetwater makes your average rocker sound like a folk singer in comparison and his magic is his ability to make anyone who hears him want to get up. He’s one of the most confident guitarists and singers you’ll ever hear and the strength in him has to be experienced to be fully appreciated. His vocal tone is huge and his guitar solos are horsepower personified. If you haven’t heard Harlis before, you’ll be hooked.
LAURIE MORVAN
Laurie Morvan Band is a 5-piece high energy, rockin’ blues band lead by its charismatic lead guitarist/vocalist, Laurie Morvan. Based in Long Beach, CA, the band honed its tight, fiery sound performing over 800 shows together including 80 festivals throughout the USA, Canada and Europe. Their CD, “GRAVITY”, released in 2018, made the 1st Round Grammy Ballot for Best Contemporary Blues, and was nominated for Best Blues Album of 2018 in the prestigious Downbeat Reader’s Poll. “Tasty yet blistering Strat work that hits all the right notes and overflows with soul.” (Vintage Guitar). The band also garnered the attention of the international market with a nomination for Best New Artist in the 2018 Independent Blues Awards. “Laurie is one hell of a great guitarist and if you have not had the pleasure of seeing her, put it on your must do list!” (Blues Blast).
Female blues guitarist Laurie Morvan, WINNER Blues Foundation award for Best Self-Produced CD at the International Blues Challenge, has a unique, fiery guitar style, and has been highlighted in feature articles in Guitar Player, Vintage Guitar and Modern Guitars magazines. Not just a wailin' guitar slinger, Laurie is a compelling lead vocalist and songwriter who writes from personal stories filled with pain, triumph, hope, and her characteristic humor. Performances feature crowd-pleasing harmonies of backup singer/percussionist Lisa Morvan along with dueling solos between Laurie, keyboardist Tom Salyers and bassist Pat Morvan, fueled by the intense blues rock foundation of drummer Lonnie Jones.
SANDY HALEY
According to Sandy, "I was a gospel singer until I got my heart shattered in a breakup. Then I craved The Blues as an ointment for my soul." Her new January 2022 album "Feels Like Freedom" is a testament to life, living and kicking ass in the 21st century.
Sandy grew up playing piano and singing Gospel in the soulful city of Detroit. She attended Eastern Michigan University where she honed her craft in the music department. She connected with the now-legendary producer Eric Morgensen where her songwriting skills developed in the famed "Studio A".
Upon her coming of age, she and the band moved to LA where they played the local blues/rock festivals. Unfortunately before they reached any commercial success, the rigors of the music business saw the band break up and most of the guys went home to Michigan. Sandy stayed in Los Angeles and put another band together; a band with the right musical chemistry that showcases Sandy's unique fusion of Gospel and Contemporary Blues. Along the way, she has shared the stage with contemporary blues stars Teresa James, Coco Montoya, Tommy Castro, John Nemeth, and many others. As a member of Detroit's popular rock band The Rockets, she shared the stage with musical giants Joe Walsh, The Beach Boys, and Sammy Hagar.
Sandy has an all-star band. Her lineup includes guitarists Pat McClure and Val Rael, Tom Fillman on drums and long time collaborator Teddy "ZigZag" Andreadis on keyboards and harp. Guest artists Paulie Cerra on sax and Taras Prodaniuk on bass.
JEFF DALE and the Woodlawners
Jeff Dale is an award winning songwriter and performer, born and raised on the south side of Chicago
Having played all over the United States, he also reaches international audiences with recent shows in Europe and Central America. The City of Los Angeles presented Jeff Dale with a Living Legend Blues Award With to honor his 40 years of performing and writing original roots music.
Before he could shave, Jeff was exposed to the music and live performances of Hound Dog Taylor, Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Koko Taylor and many more practitioners of Chicago blues. “In the neighborhood where I grew up,” says Dale, “if you had your antennas up, you could feel the blues right there.”
Jeff’s long blues lineage includes accompanying legendary performers such as Pee Wee Crayton, Etta James and Lowell Fulson. Finding tapes from a show Dale did with Fulson back in 1983, led to the recently released Lowell Fulson Live! With Jeff Dale & The Blue Wave Band (2021) which garnered so much airplay that it yielded a #1 track on the Roots Music Airplay Report.
Dale has collected tales and advice in his travels through the world of the blues, being in the company of greats like Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Willie Dixon, Albert King, Clifton Chenier and David “Honeyboy” Edwards, the last of the original Delta bluesmen.
LIGHTNIN' WILLIE
Lightnin' Willie is a veteran bluesman with in excess of twenty years of touring experience. Originally from Dallas Texas he now resides in the Los Angeles area. Willie plays in a traditional blues format with traditional instrumentation i.e. guitar, keyboards, accordion, bass, drums, and horns. Lightnin' Willie has a distinctive approach to his music. He is a songwriter, singer and guitarist in that order. The sound is an irresistible blend of tradition and spontaneous creativity, with a deliciously insidious emphasis on the groove. It is a compelling, hard swinging brand of blues that, whenever he performs, packs the floor--his audience can't not dance. He has gone from the low down beer joints to become a staple on the international circuit here and abroad, with wild stops along the the way, from London's Royal Albert Hall Igniter Series to Willie Nelson's infamous 4th of July Picnic, where he appeared along side Paula Nelson, Willie, Bob Dylan, Leon Russell. Touring the United States and Europe for over twenty years has given him the relaxed, confident and sometimes humorous quality of a seasoned performer. These attributes have won him stacks of enthusiastic praise from the press while landing his original tunes on numerous film and television soundtracks. Lightnin' Willie has the unique knack of bringing his audience into his 'living room' and making everyone comfortable while forgetting their problems for a couple of hours. At a recent show with legendary blues man Robert Cray they played to a packed house receiving a well deserved standing ovation. 2018 will find Willie on tour supporting his latest album No Black No White Just Blues both here in the U.S and a fall tour of Europe.
DELTA BY THE BEACH
Delta by the Beach is the red hot blues band from Ventura, California bringing their Mississippi Juke joint to music fans all over the country.
Delta by the Beach plays original rocking, song-oriented juke joint music. The trio has been described as 'Chuck Berry crossed with Muddy Waters'.
Though their feet are on the beach their heads are in Mississippi.
MARK SELLS
Mark Sells promises a full set of WOW moments for blues fans. His blistering guitar and dynamic stage presence has brought him popularity all over the West Coast and beyond. Always with a roster of A-List musicians to back him up. Mark leads his power trio with style that is best described as hi-intensity blues-rock. Mark Sells plays in the style of Hendrix, SRV, Santana, Albert Collins, and Freddie King. Mark Sells and his band continue to garner rave reviews for their live shows and original tunes. Mark entertains and engages his audience with his original tunes as well his covers of Santana, SRV, Hendrix, and other blues favorites. A blend of Texas blues, blues rock, funk, and traditional blues, this is high energy, high intensity blues at it's best! All heart n' soul!
PADDY MARSH
Paddy Marsh, formerly of Crooked Eye Tommy, brings a taste of Acoustic Folk and Blues to another level. His powerful voice and outstanding guitar brings euphoria of the blues to your very soul. Paddy is becoming a force of his own among the Central coast blues lovers. His song writing and lyrics will have you dancin in your seat as he brings the story of the life he lives as a blues player.
KELLY'S LOT
Kelly's Lot was formed in 1994 by Kelly Zirbes, a folk singer/songwriter with a heart for the blues. With 15 CDs and lots of touring in the USA and Europe, the band celebrates 28 years since the first night the band hit the stage at the Roxy in Hollywood. Kelly Z met guitar player and soundman, Perry Robertson in 1996, who soon after produced ‘Kelly’s Lot - Live at the Troubadour’. Within a year he joined the band, started writing songs with Kelly Z and added the southern rock and Texas influences that have helped shape the Kelly's Lot sound. In the last 15 years they have played and toured as a Duo, Trio and a 5 piece band
Left Coast Groovies
Formed in 2008 the Left Coast Groovies are a Southern Blues Rock Americana based jam band playing a mix of covers and original music.
Mike Fleming-Lead Vocals, Guitars, Jimmy Amason-Lead Guitar, Vocals, Wil Anderson-Bass Guitar, Kyle Burnham-Drums, Mark Infante-Harmonica, Vocals
Dirty Pool Blues Band
A local dirty blues & old burned out rock band that's just
looking to play some good ole Rockin' Blues music with a few bonehead friends around town... and we'll throw down a few
classic rock tunes just to mix it up a tad bit.
*Eric Ponce De Leon (guitar and lead vocals)
*Brian "HOOCH' Malfitano (bass & backup vocals)
*Rafael Santos (drums)
*Alan Garrison (vocals & harmonica)